Baby Shower Cookie Favors!

By: Christine

I received an order for decorated shortbread cookies that would be the party favors for a baby shower. I was given a picture of the baby shower invitations and asked to make cookies that resembled the animals on the invitation; elephants, ducks, giraffes, and teddy bears.

(picutre of actual invitation)

I researched shortbread cookie recipes and found one that got great reviews. I rolled out the dough and cut out all of the animal shapes.

I baked the cookies and let them cool completely.



I made royal icing using the Wilton recipe for the decorating part of these cookies. Since the invitations and party colors were brown, blue and yellow, I tinted the royal icing to match. I used cocoa powder to create chocolate royal icing and icing coloring for the blue and yellow. I started with outlining each cookie in the chocolate royal icing.

After allowing the chocolate royal icing to dry, I began “flooding” the cookies with the thinned out blue & yellow royal icing. Using a toothpick, I spread the icing evenly over the entire cookie.

These cookies needed time to dry and after the icing was completely hardened, I placed each cookie in a clear cellophane bag. I also added a Frost It! sticker on the back of each bag which listed all of the ingredients that these cookies contained.

I added a beautiful brown and blue ribbon to seal the bags and complete these favors.

These cookies were ready for delivery!



Pumpkin Brulee Cheesecake

By: Jill

In October, I hosted a fantastic book club I belong to and decided to make a Pumpkin Brulee Cheesecake for dessert! I loved the added component of a brown sugar flambe crust on top of the cheesecake.

First, I whipped together the cream cheese and spices.

Then I added the pumpkin!

The crust for the cheesecake was especially appealing to me: gingersnaps and roasted pecans!

After the crust was done, I poured the filling over the crust.

Then, I put the cheesecake into the oven in a water bath.

An hour and forty-five minutes later: perfection!

I sprinkled some brown sugar on top and, using a blow torch, toasted the brown sugar!

I was thrilled at how perfect this came out. Everyone at the party loved the cheesecake!

*Second Helping* Pumpkin Dog Treats!

By: Christine

My first attempt at making homemade dog biscuits was a success and I wanted to try some more fun canine friendly recipes. I found a recipe for pumpkin dog treats and I knew that these would be a fun fall dog treat that I had to try! The recipe that I used for this dog treat included only a few basic ingredients: whole wheat flour, pumpkin, egg, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon.

I combined all of the ingredients and rolled out the dough.

I used a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter for these treats!

After baking for about 40 minutes, these cookies were done and ready to cool.

After cooling the treats, I decorated them with royal icing and orange colored sugar.

Dutchess was the first to give these treats a try and she loved them!

I packaged up a few of these treats to share with some other dogs who I knew would love these cookies. I also added a Frost It! tag (with a pink paw print) which listed the ingredients that were used for these cookies.

Pink Birthday Cupcakes!

By: Christine

Jill had been asked, by a co-worker, if we would be able to make cupcakes for her daughters 1st birthday party. Jill was going to be out of town and therefore could not work on this order, which meant that I was on my own! The order was for four dozen cupcakes, vanilla with pink frosting. I was really excited for this order because not only do I love cupcakes, but my favorite color is also pink!

I used Bakerella's recipe, for the cupcakes, adjusting it a little bit to create more of a vanilla taste.

I used the Wilton buttercream frosting recipe and tinted it baby pink. Using a 1M tip, I piped on a large swirl on the top of the cupcake.

I sprinkled white pearlized jimmies on top to complete the cupcakes.

I added a sticker to the plastic cupcake containers that listed all of the ingredients that were used in making the cupcakes & frosting.

 With a Frost It! sticker and bow, these packages full of beautiful pink cupcakes were ready to be delivered to the party!

*Second Helping* Apple Crisp!

By: Christine

I love so many fall desserts and, since we had been apple picking in early October, I knew that I had to create a delicious treat with these freshly picked juicy apples. Instead of making the traditional apple pie, I decided to make crunchy apple crisp. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and it received great reviews so I figured I'd give it a try!

I started out with 4 peeled apples. I cored them and cut them into small slices.

I combined flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. I used a fork to combine these ingredients created a crumble topping mixture.

I placed the apple sliced in a greased glass pan and then I spooned on the crumble topping.

After baking for 30 minutes, the crisp was done!

And it was delicious!

TV Dinner!

By: Christine

My Dad's birthday was coming up and I wanted to bake him something really fun and yummy. I went straight to my favorite books, "Hello Cupcake" and "What's New Cupcake," for some ideas of what to make him. I had made my Dad "hamburgers" for Father's Day, and since they were such a huge hit, I wanted to do something similar to that idea. What I found in the "Hello Cupcake" book was an idea for a TV Dinner; complete with chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and a cupcake for dessert (made with cupcakes, frosting, and some additional items.) I knew this was something that my dad would enjoy for his birthday!

I started with the peas and carrots cupcake. I frosted the entire cupcake with green buttercream. Then I added green Skittles candies for the peas. I cut up orange Starburst candies for the carrots and added them to the top of the cupcake in between where the "peas" were placed.

The next cupcake I worked on was the mashed potatoes cupcake. I frosted the the cupcake with white buttercream. I drizzled caramel sauce on top to resemble gravy and added a yellow Starburst on top for the "butter".

 The next part of this TV dinner that I worked on was the chicken drumsticks. I started out by frosting three of the cupcakes with white buttercream. I piled the frosting higher than normal to get a better shape. I rolled the frosted cupcake into graham cracker crumbs to create the drumstick breading.

Using melted white chocolate wafers, I created the drumstick "bones."

The final cupcake that completed the TV dinner was dessert. Instead of pudding, which was the recommended item in the "Hello Cupcake" book, I decided that, since it was my Dad's birthday, I should make a cupcake for the dessert portion of this TV dinner. I frosted the cupcake with deep blue buttercream and added some large pastel sprinkles.

 This TV dinner was complete. Happy Birthday Dad!!!